MHA, MoD at war over IAF men 'fleeing' Reds

Feb 6, 2013, 12.39AM ISTTNN[ Vishwa Mohan ]

NEW DELHI: The spat over Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel allegedly abandoning an injured police wireless operator after Maoists' firing forced the chopper they were in to land is deepening with the home ministry describing the IAF crew's conduct as "extremely disturbing" and demanding an inquiry.

In a developing war of words, the home ministry has virtually accused six IAF personnel, including two commandos, of losing their nerve in leaving behind a bleeding Chhattisgarh Police constable Yamlal Sahu in the chopper along with a light machine gun and a pistol.

The home ministry has asked the defence ministry to probe the incident that occurred in a deeply wooded area of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district last month, with home secretary R K Singh writing to his defence counterpart Shashikant Sharma last week questioning the IAF men's actions.

Singh argued that the IAF men seem to have violated standard operating procedures in deserting the helicopter, their weapons and the injured wireless operator, reflecting poorly on their battle hardiness.

The IAF detachment has sought to justify its decision to rush to the safety of the Central Reserve Police Force camp at Chintagufa on the ground that they were seeking help for the injured wireless operator. But with Sukma notorious for its heavy Naxal presence, fears of a "Black Hawk down" scenario may not have seemed out of place.

The Mi-17 chopper was forced to land after it was fired at by automatic weapons with bullets striking the windscreen and fuel tank. Two bullets hit Sahu in the thigh and stomach and he later lay in the crashed chopper messaging for help that took three hours to reach.

"In view of the above (episode), I request you to kindly have the matter inquired into and take action deemed fit", said Singh in his note even as the IAF is already conducting a court of inquiry (CoI) into the entire incident.

Earlier, defence minister A K Antony had sought a detailed report from the IAF in the wake of media coverage that highlighted how the IAF personnel had preferred to save their own lives by fleeing the site without leaving at least the commandos behind with Sahu.

IAF, on the other hand, feels that police must bear part of the blame for not sanitizing the area where the chopper was to air lift two injured persons from a paramilitary camp.

Stating that necessary action will be taken against anyone who committed lapses and did not follow SOPs, an IAF official said, "A court of inquiry (CoI) is looking into the entire incident. It will examine all aspects, right from the clearances and sanitization required for the helipad (by the policemen on the ground) to the handling of the emergency by the pilots since the Mi-17 was hit by 18-19 bullets and the action taken thereafter".

He, however, emphasized, "The CoI will also look into the role of other security agencies concerned" - an indication that IAF feels the Chhattisgarh Police might have also been erred in not sanitizing the landing site of the IAF chopper at Timilwada in Sukma.

Admitting that the landing site was not the properly sanitized by the Chhattisgarh Police, the home secretary on January 30 wrote, "We'll take this issue separately with the state police".

The home secretary is learnt to have written to Sharma after getting detailed report of the incident from the CRPF and Chhattisgarh Police. The paramilitary force has also urged the state police to improve sanitization of the area where a chopper is supposed to land in the Maoist-dominated zones.

Maoists fired at the helicopter while it was descending at Timilwada to fly two policemen injured in an encounter with Red ultras to a hospital. The bullets hit the windscreen and body and pierced the fuel tank of the helicopter, forcing it to crash land about 2km from the camp.